Original Pizza Palace closes

Thursday

Dec 30, 2010 at 12:15 PMDec 30, 2010 at 11:09 PM

After weeks of uncertainty, the Original Pizza Palace is closed again.

By Anthony ClarkBusiness editor

In restaurant news, the Original Pizza Palace has closed, a gourmet barbecue restaurant called Smokehouse is replacing Rue Bar, a second Bagel Bakery is moving in with the TCBY on Southwest 34th Street, and Fyre has opened in place of Shooting Star.After weeks of uncertainty, the Original Pizza Palace has closed again.Restaurant owner Duane Olsen prematurely announced on the restaurant's Facebook page in early November that it would close when the lease expired on Nov. 20, but on-again, off-again negotiations with landlord Jim Larsen kept it open through Dec. 22.Larsen said he brought an interested buyer to the restaurant Wednesday afternoon only to find that the equipment and inventory had been cleared out.He said that person was interested in buying out the restaurant at 614 NW 13th St. and reopening immediately, but he said he didn't know if the person was still interested now that everything would have to be replaced.Larsen said he called police, saying he first thought a disgruntled employee might have ransacked the restaurant.The Gainesville Police Department said an investigation is ongoing.Olsen could not immediately be reached Thursday for comment.The Original Pizza Palace had been open nearly 40 years before closing in 1999. Olsen, a former manager, reopened it in March 2008 after originally trying to help two men who had planned to open it before Larsen severed ties with them.SmokehouseThe owner of the former Rue Bar is opening Smokehouse in the same location in mid-February, describing it as a gourmet barbecue, fine dining restaurant at affordable prices with a historic Gainesville atmosphere.Mark Terheggen, owner of MT's Chophouse in Gainesville and Vero Beach, is food consultant for the restaurant at 104 S. Main St.Lunch will be fast casual and dinner full service. A center stage will provide live music, including blues and jazz.Owner Michael Nabers said menu items will include traditional hickory smoked barbecue items as well as a smoked prime rib and barbecue sushi.He said he wanted to broaden his client base and fill more of a community need after owning the Rue Bar for six years.TCBY, Bagel BakeryA second Bagel Bakery is moving in with TCBY at 3102 SW 34th St. starting Monday.Ken Rembert owns the three TCBYs in Gainesville and The Bagel Bakery next to Publix in Millhopper Plaza.The location is undergoing minor remodeling during its usual holiday closing, he said.In addition to TCBY's frozen yogurt, the shop will offer The Bagel Bakery's fair-trade coffees, bagel sandwiches, wraps and New York-style bagels made from scratch.Rembert said he is combining the two to improve sales in a competitive market.Fyre Bar & GrillFyre Bar & Grill has opened in place of the former Shooting Star Asian restaurant at 203 SW Second Ave.A part owner who identified himself only by his nickname, "Cash," said the restaurant will offer Americana fare such as burgers and fries, and cheesesteak sandwiches, as well as quesadillas, with plans to expand the menu in a couple of weeks. The bar and grill also looks to offer live jazz and blues.